


Unexpected situations and how to deal with them

by cristallodineve



Series: How to save a life's universe [6]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Boys In Love, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-08-23 09:33:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8322808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cristallodineve/pseuds/cristallodineve
Summary: Sehun finally joined Luhan in China, ready to start a new life together. But an unexpected finding will soon test their love and mutual trust. Ending arc of the How to save a Life series.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! How I already stated in the summary, this is going to be the final arc of the series. I am thankful to everyone who supported me, turning a weird story into a full series that got much love and kudos and rainbows and unicorns. I love you guys<3333

Sehun thanked the cab driver and paid him before getting out of the car, retrieving his huge trolley case. He carefully stretched his long legs, cramped because of the boring trip from the airport to the campus, and he started walking along the pavement, studying the Google map displayed over his phone screen. That place was huge, and he still had trouble deciphering the signs written in Chinese characters. Everything seemed dramatically different from the textbooks he religiously studied, and he was starting to panic. Was he in the right place? Was it the same university where Luhan was studying, right?

Trying to ease his breathing, he decided to calm down. Sure, this was the right place, because Luhan himself gave him directions while chatting with him on the phone, and instructed him how to get out of the immense airport and to disentangle himself with buses and cabs. Sehun never went to a big city like Beijing... and he was so disoriented at the idea of living there, even if he wanted to see Luhan so badly. He had been practising his Chinese like crazy, before leaving Korea, nagging his friends Tao and Yixing to talk to him in their native language, but he soon noticed that he couldn’t stand a proper conversation without switching to English or helping himself with hand gestures. His pronunciation was really bad, and the locals didn’t seem to understand him. Also, his looks didn’t help much, because to them he immediately struck as a foreigner.

But this wasn’t important, was it? He was there to see Luhan, to hug him after all that time they’d been apart. Two months only, actually but it felt like an eternity to him. He got so used sleeping in the same bed with his boyfriend that he had trouble falling asleep on his own. Also, the foster home wasn’t the same without Luhan, who left for China after turning eighteen, to attend a prestigious university to fulfil his dream to become a lawyer specialised in children’s abuse cases. Sometimes, Sehun would ask aloud, while in the middle of doing something, «What do you think of this?», and then turn to listen to Luhan’s answer... but Luhan wasn’t there, and experiencing that feeling of missing, of emptiness, broke his heart.

They belonged together, and without him, he was nothing.

He excitedly dialled Luhan’s number, ready to call him. _Guess what, love? I’m right here_. But when he was about to press the call button, he stopped.

He’d get a better reaction if he looked for him without calling.

«Excuse me» he said, asking a girl who was passing by, «I’m looking for a guy... Luhan, do you know him?»

The girl stared at him. She was petite and graceful, and judging from how stoned she looked, she was probably slowly taking in how handsome that stranger looked. Actually, knowing that he was supposed to meet Luhan, Sehun spent the last two hours on the plane carefully doing his hair and makeup, lining his eyes with the thinnest hint of makeup the way his friend Baekhyun taught him.

«Uh...» the girl stuttered, crimson patches starting to form over her cheeks, «are you perhaps talking about the transfer student from Southern Korea? The one with excellent grades who got accepted because of a scholarship?»

«Yes» Sehun confirmed, excited because he was finally starting to follow the weird, musical cadence of that people’s accent. He was actually understanding what she was saying, and he was euphoric. Maybe he wasn’t just a useless idiot, after all. «Can you show me the way?»

The girl nodded, mesmerized. She started walking, and Sehun followed her. The campus was huge and very American-looking, like those he saw in movies and serials, and the idea to live there made him slightly nervous. Following his guide, he entered a building through glass doors, and he noticed that everything was shining and modern. The girl led him into an internal yard, where other glass walls let show what could be a library, with its high shelves filled with books, and some classrooms where a teacher was speaking in front of a class of students. Sehun was trembling in both fear and excitement, knowing that he’d be one of them.

He wouldn’t expect to pass the entrance exam for that university, honestly... but because of some miracle, he did it. He didn’t choose the same major of Luhan, naturally, since he wasn’t really fit to become a lawyer, but he was fairly satisfied with the subject he selected, social services. He dreamed of becoming an educator, just like Chen and Xiumin, who took him into their foster home, back in Korea, and helped him coping with the issues of his family.

The girl turned to face him. «I need to go to the dorm, now, but I think you can meet student Han over there. At this time, he usually sits in the park to study.»

«Really?» Sehun asked. «And how do you know?»

The girl blushed furiously. «Well... he’s quite popular.»

Sehun snorted. If only that poor kid knew that her idol was together with a boy, she’d have freaked out and probably attempted suicide. «Thank you so much» he said, in his best Prince Charming voice, but then he had to refrain from chuckling when the girl started to swoon. He just walked away, trying not to look too smug.

There was a lawn, and a few students, not many, actually, were sitting on the grass with enormous and scary-looking textbooks opened on their thighs. Sehun spotted Luhan almost immediately, because he looked different from everyone.

He froze, almost losing its grip on the trolley’s handle. He always knew that Luhan was attractive... but maybe he wasn’t ready to see him after such a long time, or maybe his mind slowly removed some details from his memory, making his mental image of him fade a little.

Luhan dyed his hair black, but this was the only difference from when they were together in Korea. His face, with his big eyes, chiselled chin, and lovely pointed nose was still the same. He was so pretty that from some angles his face could look the one of a girl, and Sehun smiled to himself remembering that one time that Baekhyun challenged Luhan to dress up as a woman to see who was the most good-looking. At first Luhan refused, but then, thanks to a couple beers, he got a little less shy and let Baekhyun do his face and lend him some clothes and a curly wig... well, that was the only time Sehun kissed a girl, or at least someone who made a really believable girl. And a beautiful one, also.

In that moment, though, he was just standing there like an idiot, staring at his boyfriend, unable to tear his eyes away from him.

He approached him slowly, dragging his trolley over the soft grass. He was sitting cross-leggedly as he always did, and he kept his back slightly hunched forward while he focused on his book, his lips moving slightly along the line he was reading, muttering softly. He was playing with the pencil he was holding, scratching lightly at the corner of his jaw with the back of it.

Sehun suddenly felt the need to place his mouth on that exact spot, and he stopped right where he was, overwhelmed by the strength of that feeling.

Luhan was there. His Luhan was really there, and it was amazing.

Suddenly, the boy sitting on the grass tilted his head, as if he heard something. He glanced around, and he finally spotted Sehun, standing a few meters away from him.

Slowly, the Korean boy smiled. «Hello» he said, in Chinese.

Luhan cried out sharply, and people turned their heads at his scream while he carelessly discarded his book on the lawn, let go of his bag and he just threw himself at Sehun, who held him in a bruising hug.

He was shorter than him, and maybe he got a little thinner, away from Xiumin’s cooking, but the warmth of his body, the elegance of his long legs and the general charm of his beauty was still the same. He was there. Luhan was really there, and Sehun’s throat was so dry he couldn’t spill a single word.

«You are here» Luhan murmured, raising his hands to cup Sehun’s face. «You’re really here.»

Sehun smiled, choking because of his own tears. Their feeling was the same.

Without caring of the many people staring, they kissed passionately. They had been apart for a short time, but it had been difficult for both of them.

When they parted, Sehun knelt down to gather Luhan’s stuff, which was scattered around. «Thanks» he murmured, putting in his bag a bottle of water, a pencil-case and a few books. «Would you like, uhm, seeing my room?»

«Yes, absolutely» Sehun breathed, grabbing the boy’s hand in his sweaty palm. «I bet it’s wonderful.»

Luhan laughed a little nervously, but he didn’t pull away while Sehun leaned over to kiss him again. His lips were soft and pliant, and his breath smelled like mint. He must have been chewing on a mint-flavoured gum just recently, because the tip of his tongue felt tingly against Sehun’s...

«Let’s take to my room» Luhan murmured, dragging him away. Sehun followed him, and he was so eager he almost forgot his suitcase. «It’s enormous» Luhan smiled, while he kept leading him away from the glass building. «What did you bring with you?»

Sehun’s only answer was sneaking his hand inside of the back pocket of Luhan’s jeans. «Many things» he replied, playing smug, but he couldn’t suppress a shiver when Luhan did the same, wriggling his lithe fingers right against his buttock.

«I missed you so much, smartass.»

The dorm was detached from the campus, a rather anonymous building with so many windows and small balconies that Sehun thought it looked like a beehive. Luhan disentangled himself from his hold just to sign on the guestbook at the entrance, where a terribly bored guy was dozing off. «He’s with me» he bashfully added, when the guardian glanced at Sehun.

«Don’t tell me» the guy mumbled, «your handsome boyfriend from Korea?»

Luhan turned crimson, then started dragging Sehun upstairs. «Have fun» the guardian yelled to them.

Sehun laughed. «Why everyone seems to know you? Are you some sort of star?»

«Uh, it might be because of the students’ rankings... I did pretty good last time...»

Sehun rolled his eyes as they kept climbing stairs. «Yeah, pretty good like first place maybe?»

«Precisely.»

«God, Luhan. You’re so talented.»

«It’s just because of you» the boy murmured, fumbling with some tingling keys he found into his bag. «Just a few months ago I couldn’t even talk, remember?»

«Yes» Sehun said, suddenly turning serious, «I remember.»

He grabbed Luhan by the waist and kept him close while they walked like crabs. If some of those guys saw Luhan when he was still a guest at Xiumin and Chen’s foster home, they’d have had trouble recognizing him. In his teenage years, Luhan had been sexually and psychologically abused by his mother’s boyfriend, who was also an influent politician. After his torturer killed the woman, Luhan fell into a state of severe depression, and even after having been sent to Korea, where the gentle Xiumin took care of him, he was in a condition of muteness. When Sehun met him, he had a very hard time communicating with him, until the natural attraction between them started to make them want to deepen their bond, and Luhan slowly opened himself to him, writing little messages on paper before finally deciding that Sehun and the two educators in charge of the foster home were worth of his trust.

Luhan stopped in front of a door, but for some reason he kept messing with the keys, failing to open (the fact that Sehun was at his back, nipping at the delicate skin on his nape wasn’t of much help, obviously).

When they finally got inside, Sehun didn’t get a chance to look at the room properly, because Luhan immediately turned, pushing him against the door, which closed with a loud thud, and grabbing the front of his shirt. Their lips crasher together, devouring each other, tongues dancing restlessly, hands wandering everywhere.

Sehun fisted his hand into Luhan’s hair, making him bare his neck and showering it in kisses. Luhan’s low moan sent a direct jolt of excitement to his cock, which started to stir into his pants.

«This» Luhan breathed, pulling at his shirt, «off.»

Sehun was more than willing to please him, but he had to struggle not to let go of his mouth. «How could you resist two whole months without me?» he whispered, shivering when Luhan pressed his cheek over his bare chest, kissing the prominent pectoral muscle.

«I must confess that I did some questionable things to keep me... sated.»

«Naughty» Sehun commented, breath hitching when the tip of Luhan’s tongue darted out to lick at his nipple. «Uh...»

«Don’t play the monk now» Luhan cooed, his expression turning mischievous, «I’m not going to buy it,  Sehun. You were pretty active, when we parted, at least in the sexual department...»

Sehun shivered when Luhan’s pointy teeth grazed ever so slightly against his sensitive bud. «I missed you so much» he growled, before grabbing the boy’s waist and pulling him towards the middle of the room. It was small and rather suffocating, but the bed that was in the middle looked comfy enough for the both of them, and Sehun fell over it, rolling on his back until Luhan was on top of him.

«Interesting position, Mr Oh» the Chinese boy murmured, before leaning over to kiss him, this time painfully slowly. «I missed you too, by the way. Terribly.»

Sehun reached out to stroke his bangs away from his face. His hair grew a little longer, and the fringe kept shading his beautiful eyes. «Did you have a hard time?»

Luhan touched the tip of his nose to his. «A bit.»

Sehun held him the tightest he was capable of, clutching him to his chest. «I’m here, now» he said, «we’re together again, now. Nothing will harm you.»

«Eww» Luhan playfully pushed him away, «don’t get all sappy, now. It will ruin the sex.»

«So we’re really going to have sex» Sehun jolted, all enthusiast. «I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate, since we’ve just met after an awfully long while and stuff, so I was kinda wondering if you’d have thought I was a horny dog or whatever. I didn’t want to jump at you.»

«Sehun?»

«Yeah?»

«Shut your mouth» Luhan said, bowing to peck his cheek sweetly, «will you?»

Sehun complied, helping him take off his tee when he started tugging at it. «I’ve waited so long for this, and I want it just as much as you want it.»

Sehun’s face was on fire. «Really?»

«Really, you goofball. Now kiss me.»

\---oOo---

Much later, Sehun was staring into Luhan’s eyes while they rested side to side on the narrow single bed, thinking that he never loved anyone as much as he loved that boy. Just a little before, Luhan had an emotional breakdown, and he suddenly started crying hard in the middle of their lovemaking. Sehun just held him tightly, waiting for his crisis to subside and swallowing his own tears meanwhile.

He remembered well how he suddenly felt lost, after getting off the plane and landing his feet in  China for the first time. He could just imagine how hard it could have been for his Luhan, since China caused nothing but sufferance to him, before coming to Korea. Sehun talked to him every day on the phone, but Luhan’s cheerful voice didn’t fool him.

He was sure he felt lonely, scared and unable to confront his own fears, just like him. He felt the same, while struggling with his finals in Korea. He got a good grade, not good enough to match Luhan’s level, but way better than his average. He even got a recommendation for a pretty good university.

«How do you like it here at the campus?» he asked. He missed their pillow talks, the closeness of their entwined bodies, Luhan’s welcoming warmth and scent.

«I like it» Luhan replied, softly, «but it felt uncomfortable without you. It felt... incomplete.»

Sehun scooped a little closer, threading his fingers among Luhan’s silky hair. «I am immensely grateful to Tao» he muttered, burying his nose in his warmth. «He spent so much time conversing with me in Chinese. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have been able to join you in such a short time.»

Luhan chuckled. «I miss him» he admitted. «And I miss Yixing, Yi Fan, Joonmyeon, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Kai, Kyungsoo and Chen. But mostly, I miss Xiumin. Sometimes when I wake up, I am still convinced to be at the foster home, and I start to sniff around to catch the smell of his porridge.»

Sehun held him, afraid that he could start crying again, but Luhan just nuzzled his head against his shoulder. «I always thought of coming to  China as coming back home, but I’d have never imagined I’d feel so homesick...» He sighed. «Sorry. It doesn’t make sense, I’m blabbering.»

Sehun kissed the bridge of his nose. «I swear to God, Luhan. I’ll never let you feel lonely, from now on.»

«Sounds kinda creepy, doesn’t it?»

Sehun gnawed at his jaw, and Luhan tried to squirm free from his hold. They ended up rolling around on the bed like little kids, laughing and screaming and tickling each other until their need of closeness overwhelmed them and they started kissing again, pressing their naked bodies together.

\---oOo---

The day after, Luhan left early to grab some breakfast before going to class, and Sehun got out as well. When he left the campus, he checked his phone: Xiumin sent him a text with the address of a shop run by a relative of a friend of his, who was a baker. To begin with, Sehun needed a job, and then maybe a flat, even if he could stay in Luhan’s room until he settled down.

Sehun easily reached the shop by walking, and he introduced himself to the owner. He was a rather gruff Korean man in his fifties, but he agreed to give the job to Sehun. He was supposed to stay at the shop for five hours per day, and he had to sell the bread and to clean the laboratory. Sehun was more than happy with that. He was unfit for studying, and he was okay with every job that didn’t involve much accounting, writing or using annoying computer programs. He also was alright with the salary... he didn’t need much to live, honestly.

The baker immediately gave him an apron, a pair of gloves and a hair net, and he showed him how the work had to be done, so Sehun lost track of time. When he glanced at his watch, he noticed it was already late. «I’m sorry, I was supposed to meet my friend for lunch. Is that okay?»

«Sure, just make sure you won’t be late when you come back for your afternoon shift. Being late on your first day of work won’t help you make a good impression on me.»

Sehun smiled broadly. He liked that man. His honesty somehow reminded him of Xiumin himself.

«Okay» he said, before saying goodbye and running out of the door. Surprisingly enough, Luhan was already waiting for him on the pavement.

«My favourite person working at my favourite bread shop? Is it a dream?»

Sehun pecked his lips affectionately, while Luhan hugged him.  «Hmm, I guess I’ll get used soon to this delicious smell on you. You smell like sugar and vanilla, now.»

They started walking hand in hand, while looking for a nice place to stop and eat something. Early that morning, Luhan made a small batch of steamed rice at the minuscule common kitchen at the dorm, and they wolfed it down along with some lettuce and meat wraps they bought at a kiosk nearby.

«It’s amazing how everything looks cheaper here» Sehun commented.

«Don’t let it fool you. Your money will start to flow like a river, as soon as you settle down. Also, you still need to pay for your Visa and Immigration papers.»

Sehun nodded, thinking. «I’m sure I’m still seeing everything painted pink, since I’m still so happy about being with you. I’ll need your help for a lot of things, actually. And I’ll need to practise my Chinese every day.»

Luhan leaned his head over his shoulder. «Don’t worry. I’ll be there for you every time you need me.»

They parted with a kiss, and Sehun returned to the bakery. He spent the afternoon selling bread to students passing by and being charming to the old ladies, who ended up to buy much more than they needed just to get the chance to stay in the shop a little longer.

When it was time to get home, the bakery owner was enthusiast. «I think you’re perfect for this job, lad» he said. «Are you perhaps looking for a place to stay?»

«I am» Sehun hopefully added.

«Well, there’s a flat upstairs, just above the laboratory. It gets a little hot, since the ovens are working day and night, but it’s comfy enough. You could stay there for free, if you pay the bills.»

«O-okay» Sehun said, unable to believe his own luck.

«But you’ll need to come downstairs every time I need you, okay?»

«Okay» Sehun repeated, his mind spinning. A new home, and so close to Luhan’s dorm...

The baker smiled. «Fancy going upstairs to get a look?»

\---oOo---

Later that night, Luhan and Sehun were walking together in the streets. Beforehand, they brought Sehun’s big suitcase in his new flat, which was just a little studio flat with a small bed, an essential kitchen, a bathroom and a couch. For Sehun it was more than he could dream of, and Luhan and him immediately inaugurated the new bed by making love on it.

 

«Everything is going alright, isn’t it?» Luhan asked, leaning on him. «You got a job and a house. You’re a functional adult, now.»

Sehun chuckled, holding him tight. It was rather cold, and he kept shivering in his thin jacket. «Let’s return to my flat, shall we?»

«Yes. And let’s have some hot tea before going to bed.»

«Hmm.» Sehun kissed him. «Sounds good.»

They were passing by a dumpster, with many cardboard boxes piled around. Sehun was about to tell Luhan something, when he froze.

«What is it?»

«I don’t know. I think I heard something.»

Luhan tightened his grip on his hand. «Maybe it was a stray cat.»

«I don’t know. I think...»

Then, it caught his eye. One of the boxes was stuffed with something, and he could see some light blue and white inside. He carefully approached, expecting to find a litter of kittens or whatever, but what he saw made him feel like turning on his heels and running away.

But Luhan already came to see as well. «Oh, my God» he murmured. «Is it...?»

«No» Sehun curtly rasped, «no, it isn’t. Let’s go away.»

Luhan knelt down, rustling into the box. When he got up, Sehun noticed he was holding a blanket, the kind that were used for tiny babies, and wrapped inside of it, there was...

«Fuck, Luhan. He’s been abandoned. We need to call the police...»

He fished for his phone, ready to call 911 or whatever was the right number, but something about the way Luhan was holding the baby, who was the tiniest he ever saw in his whole life, prevented him from doing it.

«Luhan? Are you okay?»

The boy looked at him, his eyes wide. «He’s cold» he murmured. «His skin is freezing.»

Sehun stared at the small face half-hidden among all those layers of fabric, and he thought that the baby’s complexion looked rather bluish. «I’m calling an ambulance.»

«Sehun» Luhan said, pale, «I think he’s dead.»

Sehun felt choking. Because of that poor thing, surely, but above all because of the misery on his boyfriend’s face. He slowly approached Luhan, forcing himself to take a closer look at the baby. He was laying motionless in Luhan’s arms, his eyes closed and his mouth slightly agape. He looked so small and frail that Sehun was afraid to break him with his big hands.

Slowly, he parted the layers of the baby blankets and he put his finger under the baby’s nose, feeling nothing.

«He still... his umbilical cord is still attached» Luhan stuttered, his eyes already swelling. «I think his mother gave birth to him and then left him here.» He kept looking around, as if the woman could be still there, and Sehun thought the expression in his eyes was heartbreaking.

«Wait. We need to feel his pulse.»

He tried reaching for the baby’s wrist, but it was so tiny he didn’t even know exactly where to press to feel his veins. Exasperated, and also a little grossed out, he clumsily fumbled with the blanket to bare the baby’s neck and chest. He ghosted his fingertips over it, shivering when he noticed how dull and cold his skin was to the touch.

Then, just when he was about to think he wasn’t feeling anything, the baby’s whole body was suddenly shaken by a heavy sigh. Luhan whimpered, almost dropping him, and Sehun retrieved him hand, startled.

«God. He’s alive.»

«What shall we do? What are we supposed to do?»

«We need to feed him, I think» Luhan shakily replied, «and to keep him warm. Then we can bring him to the hospital to get him checked.»

«What? Do you want to take him to the dorm?»

«Sehun...» Luhan started, in an imploring voice, but all of a sudden the baby started wailing really loud, cutting him off.

«Fuck» Sehun cursed. «Make him stop, or people will think we’re kidnappers.»

«Hush, little one» Luhan tried calming him down, cradling him gently against his chest, «it’s okay now. Don’t cry...» But the baby didn’t listen, shouting even louder. Sehun couldn’t understand how the hell such a powerful voice could come from that tiny mouth. Well, he thought, at least now they had proof he wasn’t dead.

Luhan tried murmuring sweet nothings to him, but it wasn’t working. After a while, he switched to Chinese, whispering softly while the child kept crying his lungs out.

Surprisingly, it worked, because the baby stopped shouting, letting out just a faint whine. Luhan’s grip around him tightened a little, clutching him against his chest. «Sehun, I think he’s cold. And hungry. We need to bring him home.»

«Where?» Sehun couldn’t understand. «At the dorm? I don’t think it’s a good idea.»

Luhan, though, wasn’t really paying attention to him. The baby opened his eyes, and he was staring at the boy who was holding him through big, blue irises. «God in Heavens» Luhan breathed, «he’s so cute.»

Sehun agreed with him, but he was aware of the fact that Luhan’s dorm wasn’t the right place for him to stay. First of all, Luhan could get into trouble, if someone heard him cry. Also, he’d be alone for most of the day...

He froze, unable to believe what he just thought. Did he really consider bringing the baby with them? No way. He needed to go into a paediatric hospital and to get proper care, and maybe even to be sent to an institute afterwards. They couldn’t take care of him, they just couldn’t.

«Look, Sehun» Luhan was saying, «I think he likes me.»

«Luhan...»

«He keeps staring at me. Hello little one, I’m Luhan, and this is Sehun. Who are you, and why are you all alone here?»

«Luhan» Sehun interrupted him, a little irritated, «he can’t talk. I think he’s a newborn.»

But Luhan wasn’t listening to him, already walking towards Sehun’s flat. «Don’t worry, little one. Now Lu-ge is going to take good care of you.»

«Luhan?» Sehun was tailing him, still incredulous for that abrupt turning of events.  «You can’t just pick him up and take him home. Luhan? _Luhan?!_ »

 

To be continued


	2. Two

«He’s really, really cute» Luhan kept cooing, while holding the baby, who now stopped crying and was staring at him with his big, blue eyes.

Sehun sighed.  He spent the last few minutes googling “how to take care of a newborn”, but he couldn’t find anything useful. That umbilical cord still attached at the baby’s belly grossed him out, and he couldn’t even think about knotting and cutting it, how the internet said, since blood made him sick. Also, it looked like they’d need some milk, but not the carton kind, the very expensive kind you could buy just at a pharmacy, and which was the closest to a mother’s milk. Also, they’d need a baby bottle. And a pacifier... to make that scary little thing stop whining. It was driving him insane.

«What did you find?» Luhan asked, peeking from above Sehun’s shoulder.

«Nothing» the boy mumbled. At the end, they headed for Sehun’s flat, since at least it wasn’t the university’s dorm. Sehun’s mind, though, was still racing to find a proper way to find a better solution. That was _his_ house, damn it. He didn’t even settle in properly... and now a baby was there.

«Looks like this won’t bring anywhere» Luhan said, «Can you hold him for a second? I need to ask a friend of mine.»

«Wha... what? A friend, who?»

«Don’t worry» Luhan specified, quite coldly, «it’s a girl. She’s a medicine student. She might know what to do.»

Sehun looked at him, feeling a little hurt. He had not meant it in that way... but the very moment the baby adjusted against his chest, he started crying again. «Fuck» he cursed. «What am I supposed to do?»

«Just walk around while holding him» Luhan suggested, dialling the number on his phone, «and talk to him softly. He likes it.»

«Luhan, he hates me. He only wants you. Let me call that person...»

But Luhan was already talking, not paying attention to him. «Hello, Victoria. How are you? I’m sorry  I called you this late, but it’s an emergency. I think I need your help...» And he started explaining the situation.

Irritated, Sehun started cradling the baby, hoping that the movement could make him relax a little, but it didn’t seem to work. That little devilish thing kept squirming against him, trying to break free from his hold.

Suddenly, Sehun felt very, very sad. How in the world could something like that happen? Things were so nice between Luhan and him. It was so unfair.

«Listen» he said, talking directly to the baby, «this is not going to work. You need to shut the heck up, or I’ll get very angry. Did you hear me?»

The baby’s face was turning purple because of all those cries, and Sehun thought he looked really pitiful, with those sparse, thin hair and that almost disproportionate head. Thoughtlessly, he smoothed his hair back, touching very delicately the velvety surface of his head. «Now you’ll shut the fuck up, won’t you?»

Miraculously enough, it worked. The baby closed his eyes and turned his head so that it was nestled between Sehun’s arm and chest. His tiny lips kept moving slightly, mimicking a suction movement.

«Man» Sehun whispered, «you must be really hungry.»

He kept stroking gently the baby’s head, since it seemed to calm him. Meanwhile, Luhan was taking notes on a piece of paper while talking to the medicine student on the phone. Sehun was kind of hoping he could turn and see him being nice to the baby, but when the call was over, Luhan started looking around, focused on something else.

«She said we need to knot and cut the umbilical cord» he stated, «and then to disinfect and bandage it. Also, we need some milk that’s suitable for him... and a shitload of other things.»

He started opening the kitchen’s drawers, rummaging through it. «What are you doing?» Sehun asked, alarmed.

«Looking for a knife. Where do you keep your first-aid kit?»

«Uh... in the nightstand. Please, Luhan, don’t tell me you’re going to do it on your own...»

Luhan looked at him sharply. «Victoria told me that if he’s an unaccompanied baby he’ll be immediately sent to an orphanage, and that if he doesn’t feel the warmth of a body next to his in what are his presumably first days of life, he’d be scarred for life.»

Sehun didn’t understand. «What?»

«I didn’t know it either» Luhan replied, taking the small first-aid kit Sehun kept in the nightstand’s drawer. «But apparently little humans need to feel the warmth and love of someone who cares for them, when they’re so little. Also, I described the looks of the baby to her, and she said it might be a little premature. If we bring him to the hospital, he won’t receive this kind of treatment. He’ll be just put in a cradle and he’ll stay there until some awful burocrats decide for his destiny.»

Sehun had a feeling that this whole thing was becoming way too important for Luhan. «Okay» he cautiously approved, «so, what are we going to do now?»

Luhan took a bottle of peroxide, gauzes, scissors and a small knife from the kitchen. «We need to get rid of that umbilical cord, first. Then we’ll think about the rest. She said it might be a source of infection.»

«God, Luhan. Do you have the faintest idea of just how many things might go wrong during this... process?»

Luhan laid a clean towel over the table. «Come. Don’t be scared, it will be alright. Victoria said it’s easy.»

«Fuck this Victoria. Just think of the pain for the baby...»

Luhan kept replying to him, but his patience was growing thinner with every sentence. «It won’t be much painful. He might cry a little, but the cord doesn’t contain many nervous terminations. He will barely realize about it.»

«Fuck» Sehun repeated, freaked out. He thoughtlessly stroked the baby’s head again, thinking that that poor thing was going to think his name was fuck, since he’d been saying it so many times.

«Come on, Sehun, I need your help.»

«Okay. Fuck. Okay.»

Sehun laid the baby over the towel, holding him loosely but looking away for most of the time. The cord was horrible to look at, slightly bloody at the cut end and of a purplish red colour. Also, something seemed to be wrong with the way the baby’s belly was bulging, and Sehun found himself wondering if the infection that Victoria mentioned was already going on. When the baby started whimpering in discomfort, he stroked him the way he did previously, talking to him softly. «Don’t worry. Lu-ge’s hands are very delicate. He won’t harm you, this is for you, do you understand? It will be okay.»

He sort of hoped Luhan would notice how hard he was trying to cope with that absurd situation, but he was so focused on knotting and cutting the cord correctly that his forehead was shining with beads of sweat.

«I think it’s done» he said, after a long while. Sehun finally watched: Luhan cut a good chunk of that ugly reddish thing, discarding it somewhere Sehun couldn’t see, and then he bandaged the remaining stump with clean gauzes and a piece of band-aid.

Sehun watched as Luhan carefully wrapped the kid in his blanket again, holding him between his arms. He seemed to be born to hold a baby the correct way, while Sehun was always slightly scared of dropping him or of holding him too tightly.

The baby was whining softly, almost too softly, now. He was going weak, Sehun realized, his heart sinking, they didn’t feed him yet. «Did that girl tell you how this fucking milk is called? What’s the most suitable brand? I’ll go buying it. It’s late, but I’ll google the pharmacy that’s open at night.»

«Thanks» Luhan murmured. Sehun was already taking his coat from the rack, but he turned abruptly when he heard his boyfriend talking in that way.

Luhan’s eyes were filled with tears.

«Luhan...» he said, approaching him slowly, «don’t be like this. I said I’m going, it won’t take long.»

Luhan shook his head, turning his head so that his tears wouldn’t fall over the baby’s face. «I’m sorry» he muttered. «It’s just... don’t mind me, I’ll be fine. I just needed to let it out. Go buy that milk, please. We’ll talk later, okay?»

«Baby» Sehun whispered, worried. Luhan’s nerves didn’t look in a good shape. First that crisis when they met the previous day, then this...

«Sehun?»

«Yeah?»

«Could you buy some diapers as well?» Luhan asked, starting to sob. «I t-think he just p-peed on me.»

\---oOo---

Later, Sehun was studying the receipt he got at the pharmacy. First he had to walk through the whole block, since the night-shift pharmacy was a while away from his flat, then he had to wait in line for an hour or so and then he had to empty his wallet on the counter. All that baby stuff was crazy expensive, and he already ran out of money.

«Fuck» he cursed again, looking at the contents of the bag he was carrying. Two cans of powdered milk, a baby bottle with two different teats, since the pharmacist said they needed to check which one the baby preferred, a rubber pacifier, a huge pack of diapers suitable for a newborn and a vase of cream apparently meant for the baby’s butt. He was still thinking of Luhan’s weird reaction when he left him, and he was hoping everything would be alright.

When he passed in front of a kids’ clothes shop, he suddenly realized that the baby didn’t have any clothes on, besides of the blanket which surely wasn’t the cleanest thing in the world, since they found him near a dumpster full of trash.

His thought drifted to Luhan again. Why did that baby mean so much to him? And why was he so against bringing him to a hospital and let the doctors and social assistants take care of him?

He probably had a ton of bad memories linked to places like those, Sehun thought, his heart aching for him. But still, they were two eighteen years-old boys. They couldn’t take proper care of a baby who needed a father and a mother. They were unfit for that. Surely, Luhan would have understood, if he explained it to him quietly.

«Hey» he called out, when he entered the flat. Climbing up the stairs, he noticed that the baker was already working in the lab, since the lights were on, but he hoped he wouldn’t notice the baby’s presence, at least for the time being, since the kneader machine was working at full-rhythm.

Nobody replied to him.

«Hey?» he tried again, but then he noticed it. Luhan was asleep on his bed, all curled up in a tight ball, and he was keeping the baby beside him, an arm stretched out in a weird angle to prevent the baby from falling.

Sehun sighed. Luhan looked exhausted, and his black hair was making him look pale and almost a little sick. The baby’s tiny hand was curled around his index finger, and Sehun noticed also that his boyfriend used one of his sweaters (the oldest and baggiest he owned, luckily) to cover the baby, since he soaked the blanket.

With a sigh, Sehun placed the bag on the table, then put a pot on the stove to make some tea. If there was something he learnt from Xiumin, it was that you wouldn’t want to start a difficult conversation with someone unless you were sitting at a table and with a hot cup of tea in your hands. And even if the mere thought of addressing the baby problem with Luhan felt tiring to him, he knew that conversation couldn’t be delayed.

When the water was about to boil, he carefully approached Luhan. «Baby?» he called him, whispering. «Would you wake up? We need to talk.»

«Oh...» Luhan shook himself awake, looking groggy. «My God, I fell asleep. Is the baby okay?»

«Yes, I think so» Sehun frowned, noticing with a sigh that he was already whining softly under his breath, probably because he heard their talking. Carefully, Luhan reached out and held the baby in his arms.

«Good, you already boiled water. We need to let it cool down some, then to mix it with the powdered milk and feed him. He’s starving.»

«Luhan...»

The baby was now crying at full potency, while Luhan was trying to focus on reading the instructions over the milk’s can. «One measuring spoon... damn, we don’t even know how much this little guy weighs. I guess we’ll just try guessing.»

Now it was Sehun’s turn to start losing patience. «Luhan, I said we need to talk.»

«Here, here» Luhan was still soothing the crying baby, while holding him with one arm and mixing the milk with the other. «Maybe we should have sterilized the bottle and teat, but they came straight from the package, I hope they’re clean enough. Please hand me the water.»

When Sehun put the pot on the table, Luhan used the same measuring spoon he used for the milk to pour the correct amount inside of the bottle. Then he screwed the teat on and started shaking it vigorously.

«And now... don’t be too greedy, or you’ll get sick. Easy» he whispered, while letting the baby suck from the bottle. «Easy, now, please. Be good.»

The little bastard perfectly knew what he was supposed to do, Sehun thought, unable to stop himself, while Luhan’s whole body seemed to relax the very moment the baby started to get his nourishment and stopped crying.

Sehun felt the overwhelming need to hug Luhan and hold him the tightest he was capable of. He stayed put, barely able to contain himself, while his boyfriend let that little devilish thing get his food, and then he laid him on the towel that was still over the table, getting a new diaper out of the package Sehun bought and putting it on the baby like he always did things like that during his life. The baby now gargled and even tried to smile, blinking his bluish eyes at the both of them.

«Here we are» Luhan smiled, laying the baby over his shoulder and patting his back gently. «Come on... let it out, now.»

«What are you doing?» Sehun was curious.

«He needs to burp» Luhan explained, otherwise he’ll gag himself when I’ll lay him down.»

«Wait, then.» Sehun went to the table and took the cloth, placing it over Luhan’s shoulder, right under the baby’s mouth, who was chewing and salivating on his nice jumper. «At least you won’t get all stinky later.»

«But I already am» Luhan whined. «He peed on me, remember? That was the most... disgusting thing...»

Sehun could barely wait anymore. _Come on, little fucker, can you please hurry burping so I can squeeze my boyfriend properly?_

Finally, the baby let out a loud burp, and then he closed his eyes again. Slowly, Luhan smiled at him and put him on the bed again, making sure Sehun’s sweater was covering him good. «We need some baby clothes» he said, before crashing on a chair, completely spent. That was the moment Sehun ran to him.

«Ow» Luhan protested, when he jumped at him, squishing him against his broad chest. «What’s wrong?»

«You know, that was my favourite sweater.»

The Chinese boy’s mouth gaped open in disbelief. «Oh... I’m so sorry. I’ll buy you another one, but I needed something...»

«Baby» Sehun murmured, placing a kiss on his temple, «get back to the dorm. You need to sleep. It was stressful for you, today.»

Luhan was tempted, but he shook his head. «The baby» he weakly protested, «you don’t look comfortable around him. And you’ll need to work...»

Sehun checked his watch. «It’s two in the morning. If the little demon sleeps some, I’ll manage to rest as well. You can come here early in the morning, if you want, but now, I beg you, get back to your room and go straight under the covers.»

Luhan closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, Sehun’s heart ached seeing they were teary again. «Thank you, Sehun. I was sure you’d have understood. I love you so much.»

They kissed and hugged for a little time, but then Sehun practically pushed Luhan out of the door.

Slowly, he approached the sleeping baby. «Where the hell do you come from, can you tell me?» he whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed to stroke the velvety head how he did before.

And then he noticed it. The thin hair he was caressing was light in colour, not even close to the average black, and the baby’s eyes, their shape, their colour...

There was a good chance that baby wasn’t Chinese, he was sure of it.


	3. Three

When someone knocked at the door, Sehun sprang from the bed, rushing to the door to check from the peephole. He was sure he recognized Luhan’s light knock, but he didn’t want to meet his new landlord with a newborn foreign baby in his arms. He was sure that would make quite the wrong impression.

«I’m sorry, am I late?» Luhan panted. «How’s he been?»

Sehun was exhausted. Maybe the baby was uncomfortable, sleeping in a bed which didn’t resemble a crib in the slightest, or he was still suffering because of his abandon, but he did nothing but whine and trash around for the whole night. At first Sehun tried lulling him, just like Luhan did, but it wasn’t of much help. He tried letting him cry, hoping that he would get tired after a while, but that little demonic thing apparently had super strong lungs or whatever. He could go on shouting for hours, driving Sehun crazy. He was never good with small kids, or at least with babies who were that small. He couldn’t communicate with him at all, and he couldn’t understand his needs. Around four or five in the morning, also, when he sat by the window hoping to spot Luhan’s lithe figure in the street, he began gloomily contemplating if it really was a good idea, choosing social services as his university major. He couldn’t even take proper care of a kid who basically needed nothing but eating and pooping, how could he do something good for grown ones?

Maybe he was just making a huge mistake.

«Can you take him? My arms are cramping.»

«Hello little one» Luhan said to the baby, holding him against his chest. «Have you been good?»

«Absolutely no» Sehun grumbled, before heading towards the stove to make some strong coffee. His temples were pulsing, but he needed to go to class and then to work at the bakery shop afterwards. The mere perspective felt draining to him.

«En Ri, En Ri, how come Hun-ge is complaining this much? You naughty little thing.»

Sehun frowned. «En Ri?»

Luhan lowered his gaze, but he kept smiling sweetly towards the baby. «It’s just a nickname. Since he looks foreign, I started calling him En Ri in my head, since it kind of sounds like Henry. Cute, isn’t it?»

«Luhan...»

In that precise moment, the baby started screaming on top of his lungs. «Uh-oh» Luhan said, in a little singsong voice that Sehun hated. «Time to feed this bottomless pit. Where did you put the powdered milk?»

«Over there.»

Luhan turned towards him, looking at him sharply. «Did you remember soaking the rubber teats in a disinfecting solution like I instructed you?»

Sehun’s stare turned suddenly blank. «I forgot» he admitted, and Luhan rolled his eyes.

«Oh, my, En Ri. Hun-gege is so damn forgetful. But since he’s cute, we’ll forgive him, right?»

The baby didn’t seem as understanding as the boy who was holding him, though, because he kept screaming, demanding his food with arrogance. Sehun couldn’t stand it anymore, and he started preparing the disinfecting solution, shoving the rubber teats into it and moving angrily the water with his hand, splashing it everywhere.

«Careful» Luhan warned him, «since it contains peroxide, if it spills on your clothes it will probably leave a permanent stain... oh.»

With a heavy sigh, Sehun stared at the front of his black tee, now completely soaked in water. It was one of his favourites.

«Baby» Luhan murmured, coming near him, «don’t be like this. I’ll buy you a new one, okay?»

It was too much. Sehun was dead tired, his favourite shirt was ruined, and his boyfriend wasn’t being of any help. «This fucking baby» he said, gritting his teeth, «he can’t stay here. I want him out.»

Calmly, Luhan raised his gaze and met his eyes. «No.»

Sehun was about to break down. «I can’t... no, I _absolutely_ can’t accept this baby here anymore. He needs to go somewhere else, I don’t know, a hospital, an institute, wherever someone more fitting than us can take proper care of him.»

Luhan turned his back at him, taking the rubber teats away from the solution and rinsing them under the running water, while placing the screaming baby against his opposite shoulder. «No.»

«Why the fuck are you being this stubborn? It doesn’t make sense. What if he’s sick, or if he needs some special treatment we can’t even imagine. A friend of my mother had a kid recently, and she took him to the doctor a shitload of times, for routine checks, shots and I don’t know even...»

Now Luhan was completely ignoring him, mixing the powdered milk with a spoon in some warm water. He was moving awkwardly, since the baby was trashing, his little face now almost crimson, and Sehun, in a normal situation, would have helped him, but he didn’t want to touch the baby. He just didn’t. «What if we get into trouble for this, Luhan. What if someone is looking for this baby and called police and...»

It wasn’t working. Luhan was busy shaking the bottle to mix the milk properly, and he was singing gently to the baby in the meantime, hoping to make him calm down a little. When he finally latched onto the milk and shut down, Sehun’s ears almost hurt because of the sudden silence.

«Oh my God» Luhan sighed, «I was started to think I was going to lose my hearing.»

Sehun sighed. «Luhan, did you listen to what I said?»

«Yes, honey» the boy replied, in a sugary voice that he never used before when he talked to him, «and my answer is no.»

«You’re being unreasonable.»

«Maybe, but I’m not giving up on everything just because you’re telling me. And honestly, I don’t think En Ri needs someone who acts like an asshole around him.»

Sehun’s brain froze, while Luhan walked around slowly, feeding the baby who was now staring at him adoringly while sucking on his milk.

He couldn’t remember a single time when Luhan insulted him before, but apparently it just happened.

«Luhan» he whispered, «what’s happening? I can’t understand you.»

And this was Luhan’s turn to snap. «Oh, no, don’t play dumb, now» he spat out, but in a soft voice, not to startle the baby, «do you think I’m an idiot? I’m perfectly aware of the fact that you hate En Ri. You even didn’t want to pick him up from the trash when we found him yesterday. And you know what, Sehun? I don’t think this is something a wannabe social educator would do.»

If he’d stab him with a knife it would have hurt less. Sehun could just stare back at him, at his eyes full of anger, thinking that this was not how he pictured their new life together.

«I thought you were with me in this» Luhan went on, putting away the empty bottle and placing the baby in the correct position to help him digest, «I thought you were still the generous Sehun I met in Korea, but apparently you are changed. I don’t know if I can trust you, if you keep being like this.»

«Luhan» Sehun croaked, incredulous, «you can’t talk seriously.»

«This baby is important to me, do you fucking understand it?»

Sehun was speechless. Yes, he knew, but how could he imagine that poor baby could be _this much_ important for his boyfriend? It was nonsensical. It was just plain crazy.

«Why?» he breathed. «For the love of God, why?»

Luhan shook his head. «Just go to sleep. We can talk about it later.»

Sehun opened his mouth, determined to refuse... but all of a sudden, he felt too tired to keep fighting.

«Yeah, I think I’ll go» he murmured, looking at the way Luhan lovingly patted the baby’s back to help him burp. He looked tired, but happy to be there taking care of that kid. He even felt jealous of him, and he felt awful about it. «Is there... is there something you need?»

«No» Luhan coldly replied. «I’ll try making him sleep some now, then I’ll wake him up later to feed him again, he shouldn’t cry. Just lie down and don’t think about anything.»

Sehun did as he was told, pulling the comforter over his head. He didn’t want to see the hurt and the disappointment mixing in Luhan’s face while he thought he wasn’t watching.

\---oOo---

He slept like the dead. When he woke up, Luhan was still there, sitting on a chair with the baby in his arms, looking like he could fall asleep at any time.

«Give him to me» Sehun offered, but Luhan pursed his lips.

«Not until I’m sure you won’t bring him somewhere while I’m not around.»

«Luhan, please, you’re exhausted. You need some sleep too.»

The boy checked his watch. «And you need to get your ass at work.»

«Fuck» Sehun cursed. He completely forgot about class, and skipping the first day was never a good idea. He rushed to the bathroom, getting ready for work, and when he was about to rush downstairs, he stopped near Luhan.

«Well...»

«Yeah?»

«If you need something, you can call me, okay?»

Luhan averted his gaze. «Sure.»

Feeling terribly depressed, Sehun walked down towards the laboratory. Luhan was still angry, and honestly he couldn’t understand how he was feeling about it. His feeling were strangely mixed, as if he was angry with him as well, but also strangely inclined to forgive him.

«Whoa, lad» the baker said, «you look sleep-deprived. Are your studies this complicated you need to stay up all night?»

«Actually, I think I never studied anything this complicated, sir» Sehun replied, telling the absolute truth.

The baker exploded in a roaring laughter, patting his back before disappearing in the laboratory. Sehun forced himself to wear a bright smile when the first customer walked in, and then he pushed Luhan and the baby in a corner of his mind while he worked. They were still there, though, and Luhan’s betrayed expression would pop into his mind from time to time, startling him while he was weighing the loaves or he was counting the cash. Now he couldn’t stop blaming himself for yelling at Luhan first, forgetting about his weird and emotional reactions of the day before. Maybe seeing that poor baby abandoned in the trash touched him a lot, or maybe it awoke some unpleasant memories inside of him. But which ones? Sehun was sure that Luhan’s childhood, or at least until his father was alive, had been a cheerful and happy one. Problems started much later, for him, when Minister Han entered his life.

He frowned. There was something he wasn’t guessing right, he was sure of it. Surely Luhan had some deep reason to get this attached to the baby, and he wasn’t able to understand what it was...

«Are you Sehun?»

He blinked to the girl smiling in front of him. She was tall and pretty, with long hair tied in a ponytail. «I’m Victoria, one of Luhan’s friends.»

«Oh» Sehun mumbled, trying to remember. « _Oh_ » he repeated, when he finally collected the dots. «Yeah, Luhan called you about... err, about yesterday’s matter.»

«How is it now? The... uhm, the matter, I mean.»

Sehun shook his head. Behind Victoria there were many people still waiting in line, most of them being girls or housewives. Apparently, the news that a new hot baker appeared in the shop spreaded pretty quickly. «I’m sorry, but I think you already know it’s a quite private matter and... err...»

«Can I see him?»

Sehun blinked at her.

«The matter» Victoria patiently specified. «I brought my doctor’s bag.» And she waved it in front of Sehun’s head, while the other women in the shop were starting to get impatient.

«Well... you can go upstairs, there’s my house. Luhan’s there, along with... the matter.»

«Good. Put some cream bread aside for me, please.»

Sehun worriedly followed Victoria’s elegant frame while she climbed the stairs, but soon he was overwhelmed by the other customers, and he couldn’t think much about it.

When he was finally done, he climbed the stairs at crazy speed, but when he reached the door, the medicine student was getting ready to go.

«How is he? Is he alright?» Sehun panted.

She looked at him earnestly, locking their gazes. «The baby is fine» she declared, «you guys did a good job with him.»

«Thanks God.»

«As for Luhan... due to his delicate emotional state, he might be acting weird, lately. I might prescribe something to help him sleep, if you want.»

Sehun couldn’t understand.  «What emotional state?»

«Dear» Victoria asked him, «didn’t you know Luhan went to visit one of minister Han’s orphanages, lately? He was so shocked, afterwards. He never saw many babies without a family all gathered together, before. He did his best to greet and hold all those who he could, and then he cried in my car during the whole trip to the dorm.»

Sehun covered his mouth with his hands. Now everything was clear: Luhan’s weird, unexplainable reaction when the baby looked unhealthy when they picked him up, his weird attachment to him.

«Thank you, Victoria» he croaked, «but I think we’ll be alright. Really.»

«Just... be patient, if he gets too bitchy or stubborn» the girl advised him. «And don’t worry. He’s not an idiot. He’ll understand by himself, soon, that this baby needs hospital care and to be enlisted in an adoption’s list.»

In that moment, the baker started yelling from the staircase. «Oi, lad! Where the heck did you go? There are customers down there!»

«Fuck» Sehun cursed, «I have work to do. I’ll see him later... thank you so much, Victoria, really. I am indebted to you.»

«Just call me if you need something» the girl said, handing him her business card with a smile. «I just love my little Lu. He’s the gay friend every girl dreams of.»

Sehun actually laughed, before the baker called him again and he was forced to return at the shop again.

\---oOo---

When he got into the flat, he noticed that Luhan was sleeping on a chair, his head thrown back and a thin string of drool streaming from the corner of his mouth. Sehun almost laughed aloud when he saw that he put the baby, still bundled in his old sweater, into a big oval-shaped basket, probably meant for bread or other foods, lined with a folded blanket. At least now little En Ri or whatever got his little crib, and the two grown ones could get the bed. Luhan placed the basket on the floor, since it was always slightly warm because of the warmth seeping from the ovens, which were placed in the room underneath.

He gently tapped on Luhan’s shoulder, and when he bolted, he immediately reached out to stroke his cheek to reassure him. «Sssh, it’s me. Would you come over, please?»

Luhan was too sleepy to fight, and he let Sehun lead him by his hand. They both laid on the bed, facing each other.

«Time of the wise talk?» Luhan started, in a rather bitchy way. Instead of getting angry at him, though, Sehun reached out to stroke his bangs.

«I had a talk with Victoria, before» he said. Luhan looked at him, eyes wide, and then he started to move, trying to get up from the bed, but Sehun actually held him back forcefully until he stopped struggling and just gave up, falling back on the mattress. «Why didn’t you tell me? I wouldn’t have been such an ass to you.»

Luhan shook his head. And then, unexpectedly, he started crying desperately. Sehun held him tight against his heart.

«You did the right thing, saving En Ri from the street. As well as you did the right thing visiting all those poor babies in that institute. You’re generous and sensitive, and I love you for this.»

«Sehun» Luhan whined, against his chest, «Sehun, please, forgive me. I’m an idiot, Sehun.»

«Baby» Sehun whispered, slipping under the comforter with him, «let’s get some sleep, now. God only knows when En Ri will wake up.»

«You are calling him like this too, now» Luhan smiled, before settling in against Sehun, «I knew you’d change your mind about him, in the end.»

«Seeing how you love him, I thought he must be special» Sehun admitted, acknowledging, shockingly enough, that he was telling the truth.


	4. Four

When Sehun woke up, a couple hours later, Luhan was pressing a kiss over his bare shoulder. Their gazes met in the dim light, while they crept closer to each other. The warmth coming from the laboratory made the room almost unbearably hot, and they both kicked the blankets away while they rested, and Sehun got rid of his stained black shirt before going to bed.

Slowly, Luhan dragged his fingers against his bare skin, bending down to kiss Sehun’s collarbone. Sehun shivered while the boy’s warm mouth traced a path along his tendon, nipping gently around his Adam’s apple.

He was apologizing to him, Sehun thought. «There’s no need...» he started, but Luhan silenced him with a kiss.

«I know, right?» he murmured, ghosting his lips over the soft stubble on Sehun’s jaw. «But I want it.»

«Well» Sehun panted, arching when Luhan’s fingers teased his nipple, «not that I’m complaining.»

«Shut up, baby» Luhan whispered, capturing his mouth in another scorching kiss. This time, Sehun pushed him into the mattress, rolling on top of him. He moaned softly when Luhan thrusted his hips against his crotch, making his cock come alive. His boyfriend was already hard, and he was totally grinding onto him.

In spite of the aggressiveness of their desire, though, their kiss quickly turned loving, while they both pulled gently on each other’s plush lips. Their bodies stilled for a moment, while they both savoured the feeling of being close and safe in each other’s arms.

Sehun could feel his cheeks burning. His eyes were locked with Luhan’s, which were so filled with lust that it actually gave real pleasure to him. And it was really like that, since the both of them was now completely motionless, but Sehun’s cock was desperately hard and leaking through his sweatpants against Luhan’s thigh.

They kissed again, and then it was Sehun’s turn to worship Luhan’s upper body, helping him getting rid of his shirt and attacking his alabaster skin with nips and kisses. He sucked on his right nipple, hollowing his cheeks in a way he knew could drive his boyfriend crazy with desire, and Luhan threw his head back, lost in the powerful sensation, pulling Sehun closer crossing his ankles behind his back. He arched onto him again, grinding their bodies together, cheeks flushed, eyes glassy and eyelashes quivering.

Sehun grabbed him in a bruising hug, thinking that he never loved someone like he loved him.

«Sehun» Luhan breathed against his ear, «put on a condom. Please.»

Sehun obeyed, fumbling in his nightstand and wearing one with trembling fingers, coating himself in lube. The warm room seemed terribly cold, now that he had been forced apart from his lover, and he shivered again when he pressed their heated bodies together again, his plastic-wrapped cock sliding between their bellies.

Luhan closed his eyes, as he always did when Sehun penetrated him, and he parted his lips, lost in the sensation of his body stretching. Sehun kissed his temple, waiting for him to adjust. He could feel his own heart thunder against his ribcage, and the tension gathering into his muscles. He’d been so hungry for Luhan’s body, and the baby’s abrupt arrival actually forced them apart.

He yelped when Luhan started moving without warning, writhing underneath him. «Mmm» he hummed, «I missed it.»

He clenched his muscles, squeezing Sehun inside of him with a little mischievous grin, and Sehun started pounding onto him, holding him in a strong grip.

The both of them were purposefully avoiding to moan out loud, because they didn’t want to wake up the baby. That moment, which was just for the two of them, was much needed, and none of them wanted to ruin it.

With Luhan breathing heavily in his ear, Sehun kept thrusting into him at a quick pace, then he slowed down, pressing gently onto him, barely undulating his hips. Luhan’s hands came to rest on the small of his back, nails digging into his flesh.

Sehun kept rocking slowly until they both couldn’t take it anymore, and then he finished with a few powerful thrusts. He watched as Luhan came hard, his face turning crimson and the blush spreading on his throat and chest. His own orgasm was so powerful that he fell onto Luhan, heaving over him, completely unable to move.

Slowly, Luhan pushed him aside, making him slide out of his warm body, and then he adjusted against him, wrapping his arm and knee around Sehun’s legs and torso to prevent him from feeling cold.

It felt so amazing, Sehun thought. That simple gesture carried all the care and the love that Luhan felt towards him.

«I love you» he breathed, when he was sure he could control his voice again. Raising an arm, which felt terribly heavy, he stroked Luhan’s wet bangs away from his beautiful face.

«I love you» Luhan repeated, black eyes sucking him in.

Their lips met again for a gentle kiss, and in that precise moment En Ri started to cry.

«Fuck» Sehun cursed.

«Well» Luhan made him notice, «at least he let us finish.»

Sehun growled, making him giggle softly, and he stayed put while Luhan stretched out his limbs and carefully got on his feet, throwing on his trousers before padding barefoot to the improvised crib. «Come, you little troublemaker. Here, here. It’s alright.»

Sehun closed his eyes, while he heard the now rather familiar noise of Luhan fumbling with the diapers’ straps. He heard him walk all the way to the bathroom, where he got En Ri washed before laying him over the table to put a clean diaper on him again. He could hear the baby emit some weird noise meanwhile, something in the middle between a gargle and a whimper.

Even with his eyes still closed, he pouted. En Ri never showed that kind of attitude, while Sehun was holding him.

The baby though started to cry out loud, demanding his food, and Sehun actually decided to get up to help Luhan. «Give him to me» he grumbled, before realizing he was still stark naked. He put on his pants, which he discarded on the floor, and then he joined Luhan, who was staring at him with a half smile on his face.

A very loving half smile, he had to admit.

Sehun delicately took En Ri from Luhan’s arms, keeping him close to his chest and lulling him gently while the other boy was busy preparing the milk. At that rate, they’d need to buy another can pretty soon.

«Would you like doing it?» Luhan asked, holding the baby bottle in his hand.

«Uh...» Sehun was not sure. «I don’t know.»

Luhan came closer, showing him the right way to hold the bottle so that the baby wasn’t sucking too much milk risking to choke himself. «It’s easy. See?»

His hand a little unstable, Sehun did as he was showed, and he thought that En Ri’s focused expression while he ate was something remarkable. Luhan leaned against him while he fed the baby, and he sighed against his shoulder.

They stayed like that, all three entwined together, while En Ri finished his meal, then  Luhan showed Sehun how to hold him to help him burp. «Pat gently over his back. A little steadier» he instructed him, since Sehun was barely tapping his fingers against the baby, afraid to hurt him, «he’s not made of crystal, you know.»

When En Ri sighed and emitted his little burp, Sehun laid him on his crib again, putting it on the table. From there, the baby kept staring at him, his little tongue peeking from his lips, tiny feet moving around.

«Who do you think his mother might be?» Sehun asked Luhan. «One of his parents must definitely be foreign, if not the both of them.»

Luhan sighed, checking his watch. «I have no idea. At the campus there are a few exchange students... I might try asking around, but they’re a quite close group. Maybe it was an unwanted pregnancy, or something like that.»

Sehun saw his boyfriend’s frown deepen as he analyzed the matter further. He reached out for him, enveloping him in his arms, because he didn’t want him to get lost in his fears and obsessions again. The crude truth was that En Ri could be the son of anyone. Of a prostitute, of a beggar, of an immigrant woman who couldn’t take care of him, or didn’t want his family to know about her son. Did she leave him behind without caring for real, or... what if she came looking for him, maybe regretting what she did on a whim, and she didn’t found him? How could she have felt?

He didn’t want to think about it.

Meanwhile, Luhan was still talking. «I never talked to any of them, but I’m pretty sure Victoria’s roommate is European, she might know something... but it’s kind of unlikely, I’m afraid.»

Sehun hugged him tight. «We’ll find a solution.»

«Sehun?» Luhan stared at him intensely. «Have you been to class yet?»

«Not even once» the blond boy replied, frost pooling in his guts. «En Ri needed to be guarded and stuff...»

«You’re going to class, now. I’ll stay here for the morning, okay?»

Sehun narrowed his eyes at him. «And what about _your_ classes, smartass?»

Luhan shrugged. «I’m the dude with the best grades. I can skip a few and nobody will ask me questions about it.»

Sehun surrendered. «Fine, then.»

«Watch out for the foreign students in your course. See if you manage to talk with a few of them...»

«Yeah, something like “oh hello pretty one. Did you give secretly birth recently?”»

«Sehun, I’m serious» Luhan insisted. «Just ask if some of their friends made a long absence or disappeared for a long time.»

«Okay.» Suddenly, Sehun felt very anxious. «Will... will you help me getting ready? It’s been a while since I’ve been at school, and school was never that nice for me.»

Luhan chuckled softly. «Sure I will, baby, but I’m sure you’ll be great.» And he stood on his tiptoes to kiss him on his lips.

From the table, En Ri stared at them with his blue eyes.


	5. Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait... I suddenly lost inspiration for this story, I hope I got back on track now. <3

Sehun was sitting on a bench under the sun. That morning, Luhan stayed with the baby while he went to class. He forced himself to take notes and pay attention, but his thoughts were always drifting away, and even now that he was having a quick lunch all by himself, he was still raking his brain for a solution to the En Ri’s problem.

It was driving Luhan and him crazy, but actually, after the first initial struggle, now they sort of managed to get into a routine. They’d take turns going to their respective classes or work, and they’d spend the other half of the day taking care of En Ri. The child was starting to get accustomed to their presence, showing still a distinct fancy for Luhan over Sehun, but lately Sehun found himself more than once humming softly under his breath for the child while he lulled him around. He liked smelling the baby powder and milk’s scent of him, and he also liked feeling his warmth and weight against his chest. If he liked it, though, Luhan seemed to be born to take care of children, as if he always did it for his whole life. Maybe they were fit to be parents, after all.

Sehun felt a tug at his heart, at that thought. Luhan and him never really talked about that, but he knew that they wouldn’t avoid the topic for much longer. Being a gay couple in China had its flaws... including not being able to get married and having children.

He sniffed, trying to ease the sudden tightness of his chest at those unpleasant thoughts. Sehun felt like those weren’t the typical fears and doubts of two young boys who finally got to live together and live their independence away from their family. Usually people of their age worried about university, or house rents, or work. En Ri’s arrival, though, seemed to trigger many hidden wishes and anxieties which were deeply nestled inside of them, waiting for the proper moment to get fully shown. What if En Ri was their real son? Sehun caught himself spacing out and imagining such an unlikely scenario more than once, usually when Luhan made the baby laugh and giggled along with him, or when he held En Ri in his arms while feeding him and the baby just looked towards him with those liquid, loving eyes.

 _Can’t be avoided. It’s just how things are. En Ri can’t be with us forever, and we can’t fulfil all of our wishes_.

Which carried another thread of unwanted fears, honestly. The moment when they would have needed to go to the police and confess they found En Ri in the trash couldn’t be avoided any longer. Sehun and Luhan agreed to guard and take care of the baby while he was still recovering, but in the last few days Victoria came to check on him and she said that he was fully healthy.

Sehun had the feeling that Luhan would rather die than sending En Ri in one of those government’s orphanages he visited, and he had to admit that the mere thought made him choke as well.

Still, they couldn’t go on like that.

Feeling angry with himself, he found out he was on the verge of crying again. He hated being that wimpy, but he also desperately needed some consolation. And he knew that Luhan would have freaked out, seeing him like that.

He fished for his phone, than stared at the screen before slowly dialling a number. He pushed the green button, then waited, already knowing that the international phone call would have drained his credit, but he didn’t care.

«Hello?» Xiumin’s voice resounded in the speaker. «Sehun, is that you? How are you doing? It’s been a while.»

Sehun tried speaking, but all that came out of his throat was a broken croak. «Xiumin, we’re in trouble.»

The psychologist sighed. «Goodness. Why doesn’t this surprise me at all?»

Sehun started laughing like a madman at those words. His nerves were in a fragile state like that. Xiumin patiently waited for him to calm down, then he gently urged him to speak.

Slowly, a word after another, Sehun exposed the matter to the man who took care of him and even took a bullet to save his life. He knew his own mother loved him and would have happily given him advice for solving his problem, but he knew she got a new boyfriend just recently and he didn’t want to interrupt anything. She had been trapped in an abusive relationship for an awfully long time, and he sincerely thought she needed to be finally happy. Chen, Xiumin’s husband, had been his second option... but somehow the thought of calling Xiumin, hearing his gentle voice and listening to his calm reasoning felt like the best.

«You guys are really a magnet for trouble» Xiumin grumbled in the end, when Sehun was done telling his story.

«I’m sorry» he replied, wiping his nose. A few girls hanging together in the park were staring at him, but he didn’t care. «I know you’re far away and stuff, but I couldn’t think of anyone else to call for advice. Xiumin, we’re so scared. We don’t know what to do.»

«It’s a difficult matter indeed.» Xiumin paused for a while, probably thinking about a solution, and Sehun listened to the creaking on the line, getting more and more restless. He was a grown boy, but he would have died to be able to see the kind guardian in person and hug him tight. Xiumin’s hugs were the best, when he felt upset.

«Can’t find anything better right now besides telling you that I’ll think of something» Xiumin told him in the end. «I might ask a person or two I know about how to proceed. Meanwhile, I’ll send reinforcements.»

«What?» Sehun asked, unsure of what he heard, since the line was getting very disturbed. «I can’t hear you.»

«Don’t worry, Sehun, we’ll make it. Say goodbye to Luhan from me, please. And tell him he could call me more often.»

Sehun giggled. Xiumin was always the same. «Thanks» he murmured, his throat a little tight, «I mean it.»

When he went back to Luhan and En Ri, that evening, he felt a little better.

\---oOo---

Sehun was tired as hell. According to Victoria, En Ri had colic, and this meant he kept crying non-stop because his tummy hurt. Luhan bought him a little toy for him, some sort of brightly-coloured rattle, but the demon baby seemed to hate it. He would scream his lungs out when Sehun tried showing it to him, and then kept crying viciously while the both of them took turns to lull him to sleep.

Sehun was getting pretty concerned with Luhan, lately. His boyfriend wasn’t sleeping enough, and messing with his sleeping schedule made him strangely gloomy and somewhat depressed. He hated seeing him like that, while he tried studying his enormous law books with some insulating earphones on, since En Ri wouldn’t stop whining. Victoria told them it was normal, for a baby of En Ri’s age, having some tummy problems, and that it would be over eventually, but Sehun was getting fed up with it. Also, to add fuel to the fire, Xiumin didn’t tell him a single word since last time he called him.

 That day, he went to the bakery for his afternoon shift, and he sold bread until half past four. At five he closed down the shop, then started mopping the floor and disinfecting the counter, since the owner was always very concerned about hygiene.

He met the baker in the lab, where he went to hang his apron and hair net in his closet. «I’m off for today, boss. See you tomorrow.»

«Hmm.»  The man was bent over a big table, kneading some stiff-looking dough. Sehun was tempted to go see what he was doing, because he really liked seeing him working, but now he knew him enough to be aware of the fact that the baker would have gotten really annoyed if he crept on him while he was doing stuff.

«Is that a brioche dough?» Sehun asked, detecting the smell of eggs and vanilla in the air.

«Yep» the man replied, gesturing towards the freshly baked brioche buns cooling on a wire rack. «I put some aside.»

«What?» Sehun was rather used to the baker’s gruff and sibylline replies, but that time he really didn’t understand. The man shot a very annoyed glance to him. «For your annoying friends who came to visit, obviously. And this reminds to me, we never really talked about the unusually pretty boy who lives with you without my permission.»

Sehun felt his insides’ twist. «Uh... Luhan is, well... he is a good friend of mine and...»

The baker scoffed. «Really, if Xiumin wasn’t such a good acquaintance of mine, and if he didn’t help me so well with my son’s custody, I’d have kicked you out already.»

Sehun was cold sweating. If the baker noticed Luhan’s presence in the flat, he would have surely noticed En Ri’s too. The baby’s cries, from time to time, could be heard even inside of the shop, and Sehun cringed internally every single time he perceived them. «I’m sorry, sir» he mumbled, «it’s such a difficult situation.»

The baker stared at him for a while, then shook his head and personally went to the rack, to stuff some of the best buns into a small basket lined with a cloth napkin. «Listen, lad, I am busy right now» he scoffed. «Just take these and stop coming late at work, will you?»

«Yes sir, sure sir» Sehun stuttered, taking the basket and bowing several times before running upstairs. He heard the baker snort a laughter before he disappeared.

He wasn’t that bad, after all.

Just outside of the door, Sehun hesitated before getting inside. He could hear En Ri whining and Luhan’s voice inside, along with a couple other voices. Sounded like two males trying to distract the baby making funny voices, but he couldn’t recognize them. Did Luhan invite some of his college mates over? He scowled, unpleased. He didn’t like it when Luhan showed up with people he didn’t know. He always felt stupid around Luhan’s super smart and nerdy college mates, and he always turned into a mute when some of them were around.

Sighing, he went in, completely unprepared for what he saw.

«Sehunie!» someone screamed, before bolting from the bed, where Luhan had been sitting with  En Ri, and running madly towards him. Sehun dodged him just before he could smash him against a wall, but then the newcomer just clutched him in a killer hug. «Look, Chanyeol, it’s Sehun!»

«I see, I see. Just don’t kill him already, okay?»

Sehun held onto the brioches’ basket, feeling as dumb as a stone. He knew both of the faces who were smiling at him just now, but he couldn’t find the courage to say their names aloud. A part of him kept being afraid it was just a dream.

«Baekhyun» he murmured, patting lightly onto the boy’s back, «Chanyeol...»

Luhan rose from the bed, carrying the baby along. Startled by the commotion, En Ri was staring at them with his eyes wide open. «You guys are so cold» Baekhyun complained. «You became parents and didn’t tell a word to your good friends.» He smacked Sehun’s head, then started sniffing around. «What are you hiding in here? Look, Chanyeol, it’s brioches! Still warm, even!»

«I have eyes too, Baekhyun...»

Baekhyun clung to Sehun’s neck. He looked slightly different from the girly boy he remembered, but he was still soft and extremely cute. «But how have you been, Sehun? I missed you terribly, and you never call.»

Sehun felt choking. He had the distinct feeling Chanyeol and Baekhyun were the reinforcements that Xiumin promised him a while before, and seeing his boyfriend smiling, in spite of his tired face and deep dark circles, made him feel absurdly happy and proud of his friends. «I’m sorry, guys» he ended up saying, with a very strained voice, «stuff happened and I couldn’t call.»

«Cute stuff indeed» Baekhyun commented, turning when En Ri started whining softly under his breath. «Why is this baby crying? Good babies don’t cry.» He kept cooing softly, actually taking En Ri from Luhan’s arms and holding him gently against his chest, starting to hum a song to calm him. With a mixture of envy and surprise, Sehun noticed that he looked quite experienced with that kind of child rearing.

«Baekhyun is working part-time at a daycare centre» Chanyeol explained, while Luhan came to hug Sehun. «He loves kids, and he got crazy happy when Xiumin asked us to come here to help you guys out.»

«Really?» Sehun asked, «Will you two help us taking care of En Ri?»

«More than that, actually» Chanyeol went on, looking hungrily at the fragrant buns in the basket. «May I take a bite? I haven’t touched any food since we landed in China.»

Baekhyun was singing a song to En Ri, who was staring at him intently. Sehun couldn’t tear his eyes away from them, wondering where the hell did him and Luhan do wrong, since they did nothing but singing for the baby all the day (and most of the night) long, but apparently Baekhyun was some sort of wizard, because after a while En Ri started blinking, and then he definitely closed his eyes and went limp against his friend’s narrow chest. After laying the baby in his crib, the four boys all sat on Sehun’s small bed, chatting softly not to awaken him and eating the sweets the baker gave them.

«Xiumin is working for you guys» Chanyeol explained. «He knows a Chinese social assistant who is working in Korea, and he is in contact with her to get help. She might be able to come visit you soon.»

«Good» Sehun said, holding Luhan’s hand. Now that En Ri was finally sleeping peacefully, his boyfriend’s strength looked completely drained, and he kept leaning his head over Sehun’s shoulder, sleepy and just terribly tired. Sehun gently stroked his back, holding him against himself. «I’m a terrible host. You guys just came and I didn’t even cook you dinner...»

«Sehun, I love you but I don’t think I’m ready to eat anything prepared by you.» Baekhyun’s joke made them all laugh, and it was nice, stifling their laughter and mutter stupid things in order not to awaken the baby. For a moment, Sehun felt as if he was still back in the foster home, secure and protected. He missed it so much, he realized. So, so much.

«Chanyeol is working at an electronics’ shop» Baekhyun announced, munching on a brioche bun, «along with Jongin... uh, I meant Kai. Jongin is his Korean name. He changed it because he didn’t like the foreign sound of it.»

«Really» Sehun commented. They talked about their friends, some of them still under Xiumin’s care, like Tao, Joonmyeon and Yixing, others struggling with work, house rents and daily expenses. They talked and talked, losing track of time, until Chanyeol started rummaging into his bag.

«I was almost forgetting, guys» he said, handing them a small card, «this is the hotel we booked for both of you.»

«It’s a nice double room» Baekhyun added, «I’ve checked it out. Pretty comfy. And courtesy of my father, obviously.»

Sehun took the card in his hand, confused. «Uh... you guys booked a hotel room for us? Why?»

«Just for tonight» Chanyeol explained. «Xiumin said you both would have needed a night of sleep. Baekhyun and me will stay here to take care of the baby.»

Sehun was so happy he could have cried. «We can’t accept, guys» he tried protesting, «that’s too much...»

«Please. Luhan is dead tired and you look like shit too. And you got evidence of the fact that Baekhyun knows what to do.»

So, after packing a few clothes and beauty items in a bag, Sehun and Luhan walked their way towards the hotel Xiumin booked for them. It wasn’t anything fancy, but they immediately fell for the big, comfy bed in the middle of the room.

Soon, Luhan was curled up against Sehun, while he held him against his chest and started snoring soundly.


End file.
